Posted on 03/04/2007 6:25:29 PM PST by Zack Nguyen
...In 1994 the Swiss carried out an extra survey that the researchers for our masters in Europe (I write from England) were happy to record. The question was asked to determine whether a person’s religion carried through to the next generation, and if so, why, or if not, why not. The result is dynamite. There is one critical factor. It is overwhelming, and it is this: It is the religious practice of the father of the family that, above all, determines the future attendance at or absence from church of the children.
If both father and mother attend regularly, 33 percent of their children will end up as regular churchgoers, and 41 percent will end up attending irregularly. Only a quarter of their children will end up not practicing at all. If the father is irregular and mother regular, only 3 percent of the children will subsequently become regulars themselves, while a further 59 percent will become irregulars. Thirty-eight percent will be lost.
If the father is non-practicing and mother regular, only 2 percent of children will become regular worshippers, and 37 percent will attend irregularly. Over 60 percent of their children will be lost completely to the church.
Let us look at the figures the other way round. What happens if the father is regular but the mother irregular or non-practicing? Extraordinarily, the percentage of children becoming regular goes up from 33 percent to 38 percent with the irregular mother and to 44 percent with the non-practicing, as if loyalty to father’s commitment grows in proportion to mother’s laxity, indifference, or hostility.
(Excerpt) Read more at touchstonemag.com ...
Seriously, the statistics referenced are absolutely astounding. I would suspect that such statistics could be found in this country as well, though I do not know of similar studies. The Church needs more faithful men!
The boldface portions are my addition. I would definitely suggest reading the entire article.
Comments and questions welcome!
"Only a quarter"? That's 8 and 16% differences. Not much at all.
To piggy back on this, I have read that as a church becomes more liberal, or even just more feminine, or soft, in it's doctrine, that male attendance drops off.
Face it, Islam is attracting MALE converts because it is a masculine religion.
Christianity used to be a masculine religion too. Now it is an embarrassment.
That sounds like I should stay home, for my children's sakes. Not intuitive.
Mrs VS
In fact, attendance of all kind drops off. Mainline, liberal denominations have been losing members for about 40 years or more. Conservative denominations are gaining members.
Keeping in mind that 38% of all statistics are pretty much created on the spot, doesn't this particular statistic say that in just a few generations there will be virtually no churchgoers?
I'm not disagreeing with the thrust here, but it represents an incomplete picture that leaves out evangelism. Based on the percentages cited, Christianity will always be shrinking.
In reality, people's walk in faith fluctuates over their lives. Many who fell away from their faith in and after college return later in life.
You beat me by 56 seconds
Ha! In Europe that may not be far off! I kid (a little) but I would hope this study gets repeated elsewhere. To me, the reasoning is sound: the behavior of father's matter as it relates to the theology (or lack thereof) of their children.
But compare it to children who's fathers do not attend at all.
Read the rest of the article, as it addresses that very question.
Actually, fewer Jezebels would better serve Christ.
Europe is and Switzerland in particular is not a ripe field for evangelism. A few decade with Sharia, and then "maybe".
And maybe it should be pointed out that if the Father leads, the family will follow.
A little disagreement here. It is not Christianity that is an embarrassment, but the crap promulgated by the "leadership" of such organizations as the elca.
RoK, ex-elca member
The author seems to mistake worshippers for church attendees.
They are not the same.
Speaking from deep within Microsoft home country, that's not the only factor. We have a significant problem with a corporate culture that appears to require our Microsoft members' attention 24/7.
We see the "Microsoft wives and children" in church, but way too often not the men -- and in private conversations I see this is just a visible aspect of what is notably hurting some of our families.
Personal observation is that this is not limited to Microsoft, but similar factors have become endemic to other giant American corporations.
You're right - but for statistical purposes it is very difficult to tell them apart. The point is made anyway, I think.
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